When I became a mother I was immediately inundated with plastic- toys, baths, plates, cups, cutlery... but as I look around our little home I can finally let out a sigh of relief because I have almost eliminated and avoided all and anymore of the plastic junk. (Rest assure anything we did have went to those who needed it).

North uses thrifted dessert spoons and forks, glasses, plates and bowls for his meals.

Almost all of our toys are thrifted and handmade- wooden blocks and animals, and old matchbox cars and trucks.

We have a nature table with handmade gnomes, felted pod babies and this weeks freshly picked flora.

He has a basket filled with colourful paper scraps and an array of beeswax crayons to choose from. Even his playdough is a beautiful off-white- why bother with colouring when the colour of the flour is so pleasing?

In North's world pancakes are made from seashells and are baked in the oven; princesses ride diggers; pasta is served at tea parties; knights work in car garages and rhinos play hide and seek with pigs. Simple toys foster creativity, joy, adventure and endless possibilities.

Your wooden toys, kitchen and cradle look amazing. I wish I had so much determination from day one. I am trying to steer away from plastic now, but it is so much harder after a few years of accumulating junk and after your kids have gotten attached to their toys.

its a good way to live isn't it! My second just loves hanging out in the small kitchen - lives to be there and he is only one. It makes me think about how the journey to living like this meant my first saw both sides of the coin but my second only sees one. I wonder what the differences in them will be?

Each time I read your post I think to myself we would have been great friends if we lived closed. Your post sounds very like something I would have written myself!

There's still plastic junk here, unfortunately! My mom keeps buying those *&%?%$ little ponies even after how many times I told her not to!But at the end of the day, what my daughter loves the more to play with are the wooden blocks, felt play food I made her and breastfeed her doll. And that makes me happy!

I wish I 'd been so wise with my first! I found it difficult to part with the plastic because I hated the thought of people thinking I didn't appreciate their gifts...but slowly our toys have become earthy and beautiful and the plastic items have (mostly) found new homes or their way to our sandpit! I found reading some Montessori documents put me on a path of appreciation for quality and the way I've set my home up communicates to my family that we like to use natural and everyday materials. My biggest struggle is bidding fairwell to years of pre-children Tupperware collecting...but it's time to move onto stainless steel I think!